4 ms·

> (native german speaker here) Note: I'm also a native speaker of German. > "Treason" is a correct translation for "Landesverrat" ("land treason"), similar to

> (native german speaker here) Note: I'm also a native speaker of German. > "Treason" is a correct translation for "Landesverrat" ("land treason"), similar to "high treason" being "Hochverrat". "Landesverrat" is the crime of communicating state secrets to a foreign power; this does not match the definition of "treason" that you find in English dictionaries [1]. "Hochverrat" is a closer equivalent of "treason". Just because "Verrat" can mean "treason" (but also "betrayal", "treachery", "perfidy", etc.) does not mean that "Landesverrat" describes the same legal concept. We're looking at a false friend. In fact, even the German Wikipedia page describes "Landesverrat" as a form of espionage: "Das Delikt des Landesverrates ist die Kernstraftat der Spionage." > Yet, the press speaks of "Geheimnisverrat" (disclosure of secrets) The press says all kinds of things, presumably because nobody knows exactly what's going on. What we do know is that the German Federal Prosecutor is investigating, and he does not have the power to prosecute "Geheimnisverrat" per §353b StGB [2]. As I said, the reporting is extremely muddled. [1] E.g.: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treason http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treason [2] https://www.generalbundesanwalt.de/de/zust.php https://www.generalbundesanwalt.de/de/zust.php

baertram 11y ago
I don't fully agree with the classification as a false friend. "Landesverrat" describes an act of information disclosure so grave and dangerous that it would fall under "treason" in many jurisdictions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason Less strong forms of "mere" espionage are also covered in §96-§99 StGB. As for your comment on the Federal Prosecutor: I'm not an expert on the legal system, but I would expect that he can file charges (like everyone else) according to whatever his investigations turned up with. I don't see how your link says otherwise.

baertram 11y ago

I don't fully agree with the classification as a false friend. "Landesverrat" describes an act of information disclosure so grave and dangerous that it would fall under "treason" in many jurisdictions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason Less strong forms of "mere" espionage are also covered in §96-§99 StGB. As for your comment on the Federal Prosecutor: I'm not an expert on the legal system, but I would expect that he can file charges (like everyone else) according to whatever his investigations turned up with. I don't see how your link says otherwise.